Chapter 236
Caslathdi thought to herself.
Just as Ryan was plotting against the Eye of Dawn.
Meanwhile, on the southeastern border of the Northern Federation, in the former territory of the Kingdom of Rugon, a highly anticipated war is raging.
This was a 'war of the rich' with 30,000 men versus 10,000 men, but no one expected that in less than half an hour of contact between the two sides, the 10,000-strong army sent by the Northern Federation to probe the attack was routed by the 5,000-strong army of Arcadia!
An hour later, the Arcadia officer ordered a full-scale attack, with 7,000 sword and shield soldiers forming an offensive formation and 3,000 Firearm Cavalry as the main force, overwhelming the Northern Federation army with no chance to fight back.
"Counterattack! Maintain formation! Don't panic!!!"
"Damn it, how are their Musketeers so skilled?!"
"How many rounds of ammunition were fired in that minute?!"
The commanders of the Northern Federation were horrified to discover that it was a battle of muskets against muskets, and the power was not even in the same league!
Not only was their firepower significantly weaker, but their rate of fire was also much slower. Their muskets could only fire three or four rounds per minute, while the enemy could fire dozens. With such a huge difference in firepower, how could they possibly win?!
Although the Firearm Cavalry numbered only three thousand, their firepower was equivalent to that of tens of thousands of normal Musketeers!
Moreover, they were highly mobile cavalry!
The commander of the Northern Federation did not want to make excuses for his failure, but at this moment he really wanted to ask why the gap was so big.
"Retreat! Retreat now!!!"
In less than an hour, the battle, which the federal officers had internally assessed as having a 70% chance of victory, was decided. In the end, the federal army retreated to Milo City with less than 4,000 men, intending to hold out and wait for reinforcements.
However, the Arcadia gave them no chance to catch their breath. When the roar of artillery fire rang out, the officers of the Northern Federation once again witnessed what super-powerful firepower meant. Not only muskets, but even cannons were on a completely different level!
"Haha! These backward barbarians of the Northern Federation, do they really think this city wall can stop our attack?" Among the Arcadia, Count and Major General Williams of Arcadia, who was watching the commander of this siege, laughed.
He called the people of the Northern Federation barbarians, and the officers around him nodded in agreement. Technically speaking, they completely overwhelmed the other side.
"The Northern Federation is nothing but a rabble. Without Wildea, what threat do they pose?"
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"Don't be careless. This war is the first shot fired in the conquest of the Northern Federation... no, the conquest of the Northern Continent. We must win decisively!"
"There's no need to worry at all. Thanks to Her Empress Your Majesty, firearms are outdated. Welcome to the era of rifles."
The distant roar of battle and the incessant screams contrasted sharply with the laughter and chatter of the Arcadia officers.
Williams smiled faintly, "The Northern Federation is just the beginning. The Augustus Empire is the biggest obstacle to our conquest of the Northern Continent, but with Her Your Majesty Empress leading the way, it is nothing to worry about."
"Sir Williams, since this is the first shot, let the flames burn even brighter," an officer said.
"You mean?"
"Although this border city is not large, it should have a population of around 100,000, which should be enough to deter those cowards in the Northern Federation."
"Massacre the city?" Williams was taken aback, then a smile appeared on his lips, "A very good suggestion, let's do it that way."
As they were speaking, a loud explosion rang out. The city wall finally gave way under the bombardment, and the section connecting to the city gate was blown open!
Milo City was just an ordinary border town with weak defenses, and it couldn't withstand the onslaught of the Arcadia army. They didn't even send out any superhuman suicide squads. The moment the city gates were breached, the army surged forward. The Federation forces, having lost their will to resist, collapsed in an instant.
In the end, only a few officers from the Northern Federation escaped with their personal guards. Behind them lay the war-torn Milo City, where the desperate cries of 100,000 Federation citizens echoed throughout the heavens and earth!
Bang!
The capital of the Northern Federation.
Inside the meeting room.
Motis slammed his fist on the table in anger, his gray, empty eyes sweeping over a group of federal ministers.
"Thirty thousand men were defeated in less than a day? Can anyone tell me how this battle was fought?! Even if it were thirty thousand pigs, the Arcadia would take half a day to capture them!"
The ministers all lowered their heads, not daring to speak.
"Count Hells".
"Yes, yes."
"I should have instructed that the Federation army be equipped with the latest Winchester Rifle, right? But why did my investigation reveal that those muskets are still the obsolete ones from the previous generation? You're sending Federation soldiers to fight against the Imperial army of Arcadia with weapons that could jam or even explode at any moment?!"
"Your Majesty, I... I didn't. I was just thinking of saving the Federation some expenses, so I..."
"Still trying to deny it!" Motis roared. "Guards, take him away and burn him at the stake!"
Hels turned pale and knelt down with a thud. "Your Majesty, spare my life!!!"
Da da da da.
Two soldiers came in and dragged Hels out.
Desperate screams echoed through the conference room.
The ministers remained silent, too terrified to utter a sound.
They truly hadn't expected this outcome. Thirty thousand men against ten thousand, and in less than a day, they suffered a crushing defeat and were even massacred!
They originally thought that the war would last at least ten days to half a month, and that it would only really begin when the regular army of the Arcadia Empire arrived. They thought that since it was a small skirmish and they had an absolute numerical advantage, they didn't need to worry too much. Instead, they should take advantage of the war to stuff gold coins into their own pockets.
Hulse went the furthest, and some of the people present had also slipped in some gold coins, and were now sweating profusely.
"His Your Majesty."
At this moment, a white-bearded nobleman said in a deep voice, "I have received information that the Arcadia is not using muskets, but a type of 'rifle' with extremely high lethality and rate of fire. Even their cannons are far more powerful than ours. This is a crushing technological leap forward."
"Of course I know all this." 'Motis' looked at the minister. "Duke Shane, what is your proposal?"
"The Arcadia Empire's sudden attack, and its continued concealment of information about its new weapons, must be aimed at conquering the Northern Federation. With our current strength, we have absolutely no hope of fighting them head-on."
Shane shook his head.
One vanguard force was enough to send them fleeing in terror.
The Watcher Army hasn't even appeared yet.
So even if there is no formal war, there is no point in even thinking about it; there is no hope.
"I suggest that we seek help from the Augustus Empire. Arcadia is advancing into the Northern Continent, and the Northern Federation and Augustus are interdependent. If we are destroyed, Augustus will be next. Although Augustus is powerful, it will probably be difficult to resist Arcadia's new rifle technology. Therefore, there is a high probability that they will agree to join forces with us."
Motis paused for a moment, then looked at the others. "What do you all think?"
"I second that proposal."
"Duke Shane is right. We have no choice but to turn to the Augustus Empire for help now."
"..."
"..."
"What the hell is going on? Did the time-traveling predecessor come here to develop technology and conquer another world?"
Ryan, of course, received the battle report from the Northern Federation immediately.
Then, to be honest, I was a little confused.
You said everyone would use firearms, so why did you bring out rifles?
The key point is that this was kept from everyone. When Ryan investigated the information about Arcadia, he found that the technology tree should theoretically be similar to that of Augustus, but the weapons were a generation ahead. Who can he complain to?
"Could it be some kind of miracle?"
Ryan stroked his chin.
Many of the technologies on the Rhea Continent were discovered in the previous era, and a large part of them are also gifts from the gods.
For example, firearms.
Rifles generally only exist in relics of supernatural powers, like 'Ina's' ultra-long-range rifle. It's impossible for everyone in the modern world to have one, otherwise there would be no war at all.
Judging from this battle report, although the rifles used by Arcadia were not as advanced as those Ryan in his time, they were still far superior to firearms, making them a product of epoch-making significance.
A rifle shooting at a musket—does that even need to be seen?
Let alone three thousand men, even if there were only one thousand, given the discipline of the Arcadia army, they could still crush the Northern Federation. After all, they are light cavalry, and horses are definitely faster than no horses, right?
Of course, it would be a different story if a team of Supernatural Being were sent.
However, Ryan is now somewhat concerned about the power of these rifles, because firearms can also be a threat to Supernatural Being. If they were replaced with rifles, Supernatural Being below the third rank would probably just be easy prey if they rushed in.
In that case, the puppet would be more effective because it's very durable.
Ryan thought of Haino, wondering if the academy headmaster's puppetry had made any real progress over the years.
Anyway, the previous batch of puppets were said to be of the third, fourth or fifth rank, but their combat power was no match for that of Supernatural Being. Moreover, they were too clumsy. They were okay at charging into battle head-on, but their fighting style was too simplistic and not flexible enough.
Moreover, if the cannon is powerful enough, a single shot could blow it up and cause repair crews to go crazy.
Ryan gave Motis orders to first figure out the rifle's condition: power tests, speed tests, and how likely it was to be copied.
However, he didn't have high hopes for replicating and developing it. The technology required must be very high, and it might even incorporate the power of Supernatural Being. As far as he knew, there was a profession called 'Craftsman' on the Earth Path, which specialized in crafting equipment.
Arcadia has been planning for so long, how could they easily let someone steal their technology? Even if they could steal it, it would take a very long time, and during that time, Arcadia's iron cavalry would trample through the capital of the Northern Federation.
Oh, what a worry!
Ryan never expected that while they were fighting the barbarians, he would end up being treated like a barbarian himself.
In the afternoon, Ryan went to the castle to attend a tea party for three prepared by Haino.
It had been a long time since I'd seen Caslathdi. The Her Highness the Princess was wearing a long violet dress, her golden hair was shining, and she had a sweet smile. She exuded a visible sense of ease and happiness.
In terms of "lying down" (a euphemism for giving up), Caslathdi is quite similar to Amabena. However, while the former has given up on the competition for the throne, Kasladi focuses more on studying and researching magic and doing what interests her.
Moreover, Caslathdi is indeed talented. After the Old Emperor's death, her cultivation has progressed by leaps and bounds, and she is now striving to become Fifth Tier Transcendent.
Yes, like Amabena, she is a very filial daughter.
"Ryan, it's been a long time. I heard about what you did in the Kingdom of Lotte. Thanks to you, Augustus was able to successfully take over Wildea." Caslathdi smiled elegantly.
"That's all thanks to Her Empress Your Majesty; I was just running an errand."
Ryan's gaze lingered politely for a moment on Caslathdi's fair, long legs before turning to Haino. "Ms. Haino, there's something I'd like to ask you."
"Go on," Hainuo said, taking a sip of his black tea before setting the cup down.
"How's your puppetry research going? I mean, compared to the last batch?"
"Why are you interested in puppetry?"
"It's just one possibility to consider for future battlefields."
Ryan recounted the war Northern Federation and Arcadia.
Hainuo frowned slightly. "A rifle... developed by the Earth Path professionals?"
"Ms. Hainuo knows about this too?"
"I have been to the Eastern Continent and witnessed the miracles of the Earth Goddess. The earth bears all things and is the root of all civilizations. It is said that those destroyed civilizations were recorded in the earth. Her temple contains many ancient technologies, and I also learned the puppetry technique in the Eastern Continent."
"Unfortunately, I am not a craftsman, and my ability to interpret technology is far from outstanding. It is said that the professional ability of craftsmen is to analyze the technology of civilizations. They often hear the voice of the gods and then interpret and acquire knowledge from it."
"However, craftsmen are extremely rare, and each appearance of theirs brings great significance to the innovation of world technology. It is no exaggeration to call them divine messengers."
Ryan was somewhat surprised. Was a craftsman really that valuable? It sounded like they were on par with Starry Knight, not exactly chosen by God but practically half-chosen.
It seems Arcadia has struck gold; no wonder they've initiated a war.
Because the interpretation of technology requires skilled craftsmen, it is actually the result of the manifestation of extraordinary power. Ordinary people cannot make it even if they are given the materials, and the result will not be correct.
The existence of a master craftsman is a transcendence of understanding.
But when overall technological civilization reaches that level, everything will become logical, and ordinary people will be able to master those technologies.
But that's obviously impossible right now. They're using a steam engine; they wouldn't understand a whole set of magnetic levitation technology anyway.
"If the goal is to deal with the Arcadia Empire, is it possible to use naval military force to distract them?" Haino suddenly asked.
"Sea route? Shipbuilding?"
"According to what you said, if we were to fight the Arcadia army, the only ones who could stand up to them in a direct confrontation would probably be the Holy Blood Army or the Moonlight Knight Order. But if we don't fight them head-on, we can still make Arcadia wary through naval military strikes. I have a good friend who has always been very knowledgeable about warship technology. She once used her family's assets to build a small destroyer that far outperformed the warships currently deployed in the war."